Horn



Patented Apr. 12, 1932 UNITEDv STATES PATENT OFFICE MILTON TIBBETTS, F DETROIT, IYIIICFIIGAN` ASSIGNOR `TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COM- PANY, OF DETROIT, .MICHIGANQ A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN HORN Application ilhed December 4, 1924. Serial No. 753,761.

This invention relates to horns and it is shown as particularly adapted to diaphragm horns.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a horn or sound producing instrument with means for obtaining a distinctive signal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a horn with means for sounding it through a given cycle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a horn with means for automatically carrying the horn through a sounding cycle by merely a single manual closing of the\cir cuit.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a horn with means adapted to automatically operate intermittently.

Another object of the invention is to provide a horn with stopping means operated by the horn itself.

Another object of the invention is to provide a horn-with means for intermittently soundingthe horn with continuous operation of the motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor driven horn with means controlled by the motor for sounding the horn through a iven cycle of operations.

Other ob]ects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a section through a horn embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of partfof the mechanism of Fig. 1 with the parts in another position, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in a third position.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the bell, 11 the dia hragm and 12 the rear -supportlng part o a diaphragm horn o usual construction. At the middle of the Vdiaphragm is an anvil or striker point 13 and a rotary striker 14 is shown in operative relation thereto. The striker 14 has a series of teeth 15 which are adapted to strike the anvil 13 and thereby vibrate the diaphragm 11, in the usual way.

The striker 14 is mounted on a shaft 16 The motor may be normally operated from a battery 23, which battery is grounded on one side as at 24:, conductor 25, binding post 26, conductor 27 extending to one of the field coils 21, a conductor 28 extending to one of the brushes 22, a conductor 29 extending from vthe other brush to theother coili21, binding post 30, conductor 31, switch 32 and conductor 33, to ground 34. The switch 32 is yieldingly held in open position as by a spring 35 and it may be manually closed and held closed, but as soon .as it is released the spring 35 will draw it back against a stop 36, thereby opening the circuit.

The motor operated horn so far described is of usual construction and the horn is ordinarily sounded by closing the switch 32, the horn sounding as long -as the switch is held closed.

Means are provided for changing this usual operation of the horn. A spring 37 secured as shown by one of the bolts 20, contacts with the forward end of the shaft 16 to thereby yieldingly press the shaft 16 towards the left or away from the diaphragmll. This spring therefore tends to yieldingly press the striker 14 away from the diaphragm'and thus prevent the sounding of the horn though the m'otor may be operated.

Means are provided at the opposite end of f the shaft 16 for yieldingly pressing the striker towards the diaphragm and this second yielding means is stronger than the first yielding means and will therefore overcome it when both are free to act. The second ver 38 pivoted at 39 to an extension 40 of the casing 19, and a spring 41 connected between the lever 38 and the casing as shown near the to of Fig. 1. The lever 38 contacts with the le -hand end of the shaft 16 as at 42 and by reason of the spring 41 tends to move the shaft 16 towards the right and the striker 14 against the diaphragm 11. A cover 43 is arranged over the lever 38 and its associated mechanism, as shown in Fig. 1.

Means are provided to act upon the lever 38 to withdraw it from its normal function of pressin the striker towards the diahragm. his means as shown s operated y the electric motor that operates the striker and it comprises a worm 44 on the shaft 16, a worm wheel 45 meshing with the worm and supported in suitable bearings on a bracket 46, and' a cam 47 mounted u on or connected to the worm wheel 45. Allug or finger 48 on the lever 38 contacts with the face of the cam 47 so that the cam may control the position of the lever 38. The cam ma be provided with any desired number' an arrangement of lobes and as shown there are three lobes one of which is larger than the other two. The lobe 49, which is shown in Fig. 1 as in contact with the finger 48, hasa greater throw and is longer than the lobes 50 and 51, but each of these lobes is suiicient to withdraw the lever 38 so that the spring 37 will press the striker 14 out of contact with the diaphragm 11, and the depressed portions of the cam between the lobes are so formed that the lever 38 may operate to its full extent to yieldingly press the striker 14 towards the right in opposition to the spring 37 and therefore in contact with the diaphragm 11. Thus it will be seen that in the operation of the ,motor the horn will be sounded only when the finger 48 is positioned between the various cam lobes 49, 50 and 51.

Means are provided for keeping the motor running as the finger 48 passes over some of the cam lobes and for limiting the pressure of the lever 38 against the striker shaft. As shown, this means comprises a threaded bolt 52 made adjustable as shown and provided with a yielding contact point 53, a spring 54, tending to press the contact point towards the left-as shown in Fig. 1. The bolt 52 is grounded as shown at 55 and the point 53 is adapted to make contact with a binding post 56 on the lever 38, said binding post bein connected through a conductor 57 with t e conductor 31, thereby placing this yielding contact point 53 in parallel with the manually operated switch 32. It will be seen that the contact point 5.3 automatically closes the motor circuit when .the finger 48 rides down oil of the cam lobe 49. This closed position of the automatic switch or contact 53 is shown in Fig. 2 where it will be seen that the lever 38 has moved the shaft has been fully compressed so that the bolt 52,"

in the osition shown in Fig. 2, acts as'a stop or limiting means for the movement of the lever 38.

The lobes 50 and 51, as shown in Fig. 3, y

will move the lever 38 suiciently to withdraw the striker 14 from contact with the diaphragm 11, but not suiiiciently to break the automatic switch or contact 53. Thus the motor. will continue to operate after the finger 48 rides up on either cam 50 or 51, but the horn will cease to sound. This position of the parts is illustrated in Fig. v3 where the finger. 48 is `riding on the cam 51 and the striker 14 has been moved out of contact with the diaphragm 11 but the automatic switch 53 still remains closed. With the motor circuit thus closed, the motor will continue to operate the 'cam 45 through a complete cycle though 'the horn will be intermittently sounded during that cycle. The lobe 50 will move against the finger 48 and stop the sounding of the horn as did the lobe 51 and then the horn will again sound while the cam is moving` from lobe 50 to lobe 49. Lobe 49 will not only move the lever 38 so that the striker 14 is out of contact with the diaphragm 11, but it will move the lever 38 to a point Where the contact' 53 is broken, as

shown in Fig. 1 and, unless the switch 32 is still held closed by the operator, the motor will stop and the cycle of operation will have been completed. The cycle may again be gone through with by merely closing the manual switch 32 thus starting the motor and operating the cam to the point where the finger 48 will fall between lobes 49 and 5l thereby sounding the horn and closing the switch 53 as above described. By holding the switch 32 closed during the entire cycle, the cycle may be repeated indefinitely, but as soon as the switch 32 is opened themotor will stop at the end of the cycle. Tt will be understood that the cams 49, 50 and 51 may be of varying heights and dwells so that varied starting and stopping of the sounding of the horn maybe carried out. The cams may be so arranged that the sounding of the horn will not be stopped entirely but the pressure merely changed so that the sound itself will be changed.

Other forms and modifications of the de- 1. A horn comprising, in combination, a1

diaphragm, a rota-ry striker .for the diap hragm, a motor for'operating the striker, yielding meansfor moving the striker in contact with the diaphragm, a second means for moving the striker out of contact with the diaphragm, and means operated by the m0- tor for intermittently withdrawing the yielding means to permit the striker to be moved from operative relation with the diaphragm by the second means.

2. A diaphragm horn comprising, in combination, a motor operated striker, means for yieldingly retaining the striker in operative position, other and weaker means for yieldingly withdrawing the striker from operative position, and a cam operated by the motor for intermittently withdrawing said first named yielding means to permit removal of the stri er from operative position.

3. A horn comprising, in combination, ay diaphragm, a rotary striker for the diaphragm, an electric motor connected to operate the striker, a yielding device for pressing the striker away from the diaphragm, a stronger yielding device for pressing the striker towards the diaphragm, and means' operated by the motor for intermittently withdrawing the stronger yielding device whereby the striker engages the diaphragm intermittently.

4. A horn comprising, in combination, a diaphragm, a rotary striker therefor, an electric motor for operating the striker, yielding means for pressing the striker against the diaphragm, a countershaft geared to be operated by the motor, and a cam on said countershaft adapted to intermittently withdraw said yielding means as thelmotor is operated whereby the striker engages the diaphragm intermittently.

5. A horn comprising, in combination, a

motor for sounding the horn, a source of current, circuit connections from said source to the motor, and a device operated by the motor in a given period of operation of the motor for intermittently stopping the soundin of the horn without stopplng the motor an then stopping the motor. 6. A horn comprising, diaphragm, a rotary stri er therefor, an electric motor for operating the rtriker, a yielding device for moving the striker to engage the diaphragm, parallel electric circuits for operating the motor, a manually o erated switch in one of said circuits, a switc operated by said yielding means in the other of said circuits, a cam operated by the motor for intermittently withdrawing said yield-` ing means, to disengage the striker and means on the cam for actuating said yielding means to open the switch operated thereby. 7. A horn comprising, in combination, a diaphragm, a rotary striker therefor, an electric motor for operating the striker, a yielding device for moving the striker to engage the diaphragm, parallel electric circuits for operating the motor, a manually o erated switch in one of said circuits, a switc operin combination, a 

